French Connection
by woolly.hat
Summary: AU! Snow and Bigby are drawn into a centuries old investigation that will take them to the other side of the Globe. Will they come out the other side intact and where will it leave them? M for language, violence and possible romance! Set a few months after the trial in episode five. Please R&R :)
1. Chapter 1

**Hello and welcome! It's simple really: they need a proper romance and I'm going to try and give them one, with a bit of adventure mixed in for the heck of it. Please R&amp;R and let me know what you think!**

Bigby sighed heavily as he dropped the last manila folder onto the top of a pile next to him. It had been a long, irritable day. 3 Fables came in raving about Jack, 2 who wanted to report faulty glamours and 5 who just wanted to moan about _him_. To top it off Snow had stopped in around lunchtime and dropped off an enormous pile of folders, apologising and flustered as she ran back into the Business Office. They had managed to get back to a little bit of normalcy since the Crooked Man's Trial, occasionally getting coffee together or chatting about things other than work, but it was still a little strained and not nearly as friendly as Bigby would have liked.

He checked the time and he felt around in his pockets for a huff'n'puff registering it was 5:30pm. Taking a long drag, he stood up and shuffled the files into an organised pile and decided to drop them off to Snow before he left. Flicking the light of his office off, he was pleased to see no line outside. He could smell that Snow was still around, so he strolled along the corridor, and pushed open the Business Office door. Snow was on the telephone speaking worriedly to someone. It took Bigby a moment to realise she was speaking French. He nodded a greeting to Blue but remained silent, trying to decipher what she was saying.

_"Are you sure it's him, after all this time?...But how did he even...? Look I know it's scary, but please just be sensible for now and I'll think of something, maybe Bigby can help?...Will you give it a rest Marie? We're just colleagues_!" Snow looked up and spotted Bigby, blushing a little_, "I erm, I have to go, but I'll call you back as soon as I can. Goodbye Marie_."

Hanging up the phone, Snow stared at the receiver for a moment until she returned her gaze to Bigby. "Everything alright Bigby?" He nodded and dropped the files onto her desk, "I didn't know you could speak French Miss White." He smirked and she gathered up the files arranging them neatly. "Oh that! Well um yes, you understood that?" He shrugged, "A little, but I'm nowhere near as fluent as you, I could never really wrap my tongue around it."

She laughed a little, rolling her eyes. She was about to expand on the conversation when Bluebeard stormed into the office. "Oh I see, having a little break are we Deputy? You said you had no time for me not half an hour ago, but you seem to have found the time to entertain your lapdog!" Before Bigby could even move, Snow had slammed her hands on to her mahogany desk and jumped to her feet, storming towards Bluebeard. "I have been working almost _non-stop_ for the past 10 hours, pausing briefly for one cup of _shitty_ coffee and once more to ask Bigby to help me with paperwork! So don't you _dare_ come storming in here demanding an audience, treating me like some lazy civil servant! I don't care if you stop bankrolling this community, because without _you_ here, we might actually get some work done!" Bluebeard, Bigby and Boy Blue all remained perfectly still, in complete shock at what they had just witnessed. Snow spun on her heel to face Blue, and said: "You may go for the evening Blue, have a rest!" and he threw his belongings into a bag hastily and sped out of the office. She then turned to the Sheriff, his cigarette hanging limply between his fingers. "Would you care to join me for dinner Sheriff?" she ordered rather than requested. He nodded blankly and stubbed out his smoke.

"Well if you will excuse us Bluebeard?" she paused, daring him to push her further.  
"Have a pleasant evening Miss White. Sheriff." And he turned, his face looking rather pale and left, slamming the door behind him.


	2. Chapter 2

**Slightly longer update hooray! Plus you can witness my attempts at rhyming (bonus!)**

**Enjoy and please leave a comment to let me know what you think :)**

**xxx**

"I can't believe I did that!" Snow said for what must have been the hundredth time. They were sitting in a booth of a Mundy diner a few blocks from the Woodlands. Snow had her face in her hands and occasionally shook her head in disbelief; she had never been so out of sorts!

Bigby chuckled as he read his menu, "Well someone needs to tell that prick he doesn't actually run the place. And who better than you?" She looked at him and grinned a little, "I did feel pretty good, but still it was stupid. I can't imagine what that's going to cost me." Eventually the waiter came to take their orders, a rare T-bone steak for Bigby and a burger 'with everything' for Snow. He looked at her in surprise; "I'm stressed!" she reasoned and smiled at him. Once the food arrived they didn't talk much, each lost in thought and hunger. Bigby could smell Snow's scent which betrayed a mixture of worry and uncertainty that he didn't think was completely to do with Bluebeard.

"So" he said after a while, "who's the Frenchy?" She was toying with a fry when he questioned her and she dropped it suddenly. "Ah yes, that. There's a fable, a friend of mine, living in Paris. We met when we both crossed over from the Homelands together. About a century ago she met a rather unsavoury character who became obsessed with her. He pursued her for a long time until she managed to lose him in Central Europe, but she is convinced that he's back. I asked the mirror to confirm it, but he's cloaked by some powerful spell. It can't find him anywhere."

Bigby took a sip of whiskey and considered her for a moment. "Who is this unsavoury character?" She looked uncomfortable and shifted in her seat. "Jack the Ripper." She whispered, as if he was going to appear next to her any moment. "Are you serious Snow? He was a Mundy!" Bigby tried to sympathise, but this was just too crazy. "I don't think he was Bigby. Look I know it sounds nuts but think about it? Mundy's are so obsessed with him; he's become something of a myth in his own right! And we both know this world has some kind of magic that the Adversary overlooked. Maybe the two factors combined creating a monster of this world?" She glanced around nervously again, feeling a chill in her bones. She reached to her bag and pulled out a newspaper with the words _La Monde_ emblazoned across the top, the main headline screamed outrage as she pointed to it and translated for him:

_**'Ripped and Torn: A City in Turmoil! **__Shock and horror shook the city of Paris tonight as another young woman was found murdered in Montmartre. With scenes too shocking to describe this reporter has been given an exclusive first-hand look at the mangled remains of an unknown female, thought to be the third victim of a sadistic murderer. Police have likened the killings to that of London's infamous Jack the Ripper. So is it a copycat, or has his spectre been roaming the streets of Paris?..."_

Snow folded up the paper and returned it to her bag and took a big gulp of her gin and tonic. He had never seen her so on edge before, and reached out to take her hand in his. "I can't leave her there to deal with this alone" she finally said, holding his hand absentmindedly. "You might think it's a crock of shit, but she's frightened, and honestly so am I. Whether it's really Jack the Ripper or just some lunatic I need to help her end this!"

"Alright Snow" he said, squeezing her hand softly and smiling, "So what are we going to do about it?"

* * *

The next day, Bigby joined Snow in the Business Office to formulate some kind of plan to deal with this mystery. They had agreed that they would not divulge the identity of their suspected killer to anyone just yet, because the guaranteed scepticism would probably put a stop to their investigation before it even began. When Bigby had suggested this, Snow eyed him coolly. "Are _you _sceptical Bigby?" and he muttered something non-committal. She huffed, dragging him over to the mirror, which blinked expectantly at them. "If he doesn't exist, or he's dead the mirror should have no problem telling us right? And just as a punishment for not trusting me, _you _can come up with the rhyme!"

He grimaced into the mirror, who only stared back waiting for his poem. Grumbling he racked his brain for something that rhymed with ripper. "Er...um..alright...Mirror Mirror, make us chipper, can you show us Jack the Ripper?" They were startled when Bufkin howled with laughter and fell from the rafters above them, and swooped over their heads pointing at the sheriff. "That was your attempt at rhyming?" he mocked as Bigby growled turning back to the mirror. The large green head swirled and searched, and Bigby took a step back as it spun and spat out green smoke. Returning to normal the mirror almost panted and sounded strained as he replied: "As I already told Miss White, something here is not quite right. This man or monster is cloaked in magic, which could lead to something tragic..."

He turned around to gape at Snow, who rolled her eyes as if to say _I told you so_, and she spun on her heel and headed back to her desk. He followed and sat on the edge of her desk and lit a cigarette, ignoring her pointed cough as he puffed away. "This needs to be dealt with fast. What do you want to do?" he asked her, and she stopped filling out paperwork and rested her chin on pointed fingertips. "We have to take this bastard out. We'll probably need some kind of magical aid from the 13th Floor, and I'll have to convince Cole he doesn't need us for a few days..." He blinked: "Us?" She flicked her eyes to stare at him for a moment. "Well obviously. Marie isn't going to talk to anyone else but me and if you say it's too dangerous I'm going to shove that cigarette where the sun doesn't shine!"

* * *

Ten minutes later Bigby was on the 13th Floor, and found the door to Totenkinder's modest flat open for him. He entered and found her sitting in a little rocking chair, knitting. "What a lovely surprise Sheriff!" she said airily and motioned for him to sit down. "Morning Frau." he replied gruffly. He hated this apartment, it smelt of wool and some kind of bitter candy and the witch made him feel uneasy, always seeming to be one step ahead. "I heard you and Miss White are heading out on a little man-hunt? And to Paris no less? Quite the romantic getaway Sheriff" she cackled. "Would you like to help or did you just let me in to mock me?" Bigby growled as her laughter subsided. "Now don't be rude Sheriff!" she scolded and she reached for a candy dish and dug around for a moment until she pulled out a little ring. "This will help you hone in on your mystery man, but you will have to be careful as his magic may still keep him hidden, even if he sat down next to you." He eyed the ring, "And what's the price tag for this pretty little number?" he said. "Oh just the usual Mr Wolf. A Favour." He considered it for a moment and sighed, defeated. Pocketing the ring he thanked her and left. As he waited for the lift, he could smell Snow's scent growing stronger and as the elevator doors pinged open she appeared in front of him. He grinned and jumped in.

"I take it your meeting with Frau went well then?" she asked as the doors slid shut. "Yeah, as well as could be expected. What about Cole?" She sighed, "He's terrified. I mean he can't physically stop us, but he clearly doesn't like the thought of us both being away..." she carried on moaning about Cole as Bigby began to drift into his own thoughts. _He_ liked the thought of them both being away, if he was truly honest with himself. Before she had become Deputy Mayor they had been so close, maybe this was an opportunity for him to show her he could be there for her, maybe as more than friends and colleagues? It would help if he paid the slightest bit of attention though.

"Are you even listening to me?" she said as he looked at her blankly. She sighed and headed out of the elevator into the Business Office, wondering what could possibly be going through his mind as he apologised and headed off to his office. She felt so exasperated by him at times. One moment he would be overly caring and the next he could barely acknowledge her existence. When he had almost died, at the hands of Bloody Mary, she had felt something spark between them, and the idea of losing him had frightened her more than she would ever want to admit. And yet she almost had. _"Snow, I'd never leave you"_ he had said to her and it made her feel nervous and elated all at the same time.

But this was nuts, she thought. _Hardly the time for debating a romantic relationship Snow!_ So she planted herself behind her desk and picked up the phone. Eventually, she reached Marie and told her the news. She and Bigby would be flying out to Paris the next morning to meet her. They were going to end this madness once and for all.


	3. Chapter 3

**Bonjour mes amis! Welcome aboard this flight to Paris where Snow and Bigby push the limits of awkwardness!**

**Enjoy and please R&amp;R**

Although Snow got up at the crack of dawn every day, she still wouldn't consider herself a morning person. She had literally dragged herself out of bed at 3am wondering why she had even bothered to go to bed at all, as she rose early to catch her flight with Bigby. Two cups of coffee later, she still felt exhausted, but she had managed to get herself looking somewhat presentable and headed down to the lobby to meet him.

As the elevator announced her arrival she spotted Grimble snoring away on the front desk and glared at him, _does he ever do anything but sleep?_ She thought angrily. Bigby was waiting outside the front doors puffing away on a cigarette as usual and turned to look at her when she reached him. "Remind me why we're doing this again?" she grumbled and he smirked leading them out to the main street to wait for their cab.

The trip to the airport had been uneventful, thankfully. The security guards had eyed Bigby with a mixture of unease and suspicion but eventually they had made it to the departures lounge and only had to wait a short while for their flight. Snow turned to speak to Bigby and was shocked to find him fast asleep, sitting up. She supposed he was probably used to it by now, which made her feel strangely sad. She watched his relaxed features and noticed how tired he really looked. He always seemed to be so tireless, never accepting help or pausing for breath, much like her. She knew from her own experience, burying yourself in work didn't always make life easier, and it made her wonder what he was running from.

"It's rude to stare you know?" he muttered and she jumped. He cracked open one of his brown eyes and raised an eyebrow at her. "Sorry, I just wondered if you wanted a cup of coffee?" she lied. He leant forward, resting his elbows on his knees and shook his head. "I can't drink another cup of crappy coffee this morning" he moaned and she laughed. They chatted for a while until their flight was announced and they were thankfully sat, just the two of them near the back of the plan. "I could really do with a smoke..." he grumbled. She patted his arm, "Don't be nervous, Mundy's are quiet good at this stuff now!" she smiled. "I'm not nervous...It's just unnatural, all of this flying around in tin cans. Plus it really stinks..." Snow just smiled and replied with an "Ah yes of course dear" and patted his arm again. He shut his eyes again and pressed his head back into the seat enjoying the pressure of Snow's hand on his arm. He tried to block out the mechanical whirring below that only he could hear and instead tried to focus on how the heck they were going to deal with a crazed killer. Oddly, that made him feel calmer.

* * *

He awoke some hours later to find Snow was leaning against his shoulder, snoring ever so lightly. _This trip is going to kill me_ he thought as he rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. They were above the clouds and the sunlight was dazzling. His face felt achy and he managed to grab the attention of a stewardess, who brought them two bottles of water. His shifting shoulder had awoken Snow and she stretched. "Sorry Bigby, I shouldn't have done that!" He waved her apology off and passed her the water, she gratefully accepted. "Oh I almost forgot! This is for you!" he started and fished around in his pocket for the ring Totenkinder had provided, and presented it to her. She stared at it for a moment, her pale cheeks suddenly flushed with pink and she stuttered for a moment.

"Oh my God!" a loud woman shouted behind him, "He's proposing!" For a moment, Bigby stupidly wondered who they were talking about, until he stared at Snow, who had now turned crimson, and the ring he held out in front of her. _Fuuuuuuuck. _He spun around in his seat and shook his head furiously, "Er, no, no, nothing like that, we're just friends..." Thankfully, the woman just looked disappointed and shouted "False alarm everyone" and didn't push the matter further. "I bet you're hoping for a plane crash now eh?" she muttered and eyed the ring suspiciously. "Do you mind telling me what exactly that _is _for?" He scratched the back of his head and sighed, "Jesus Snow I'm so sorry! It's a little gadget from Totenkinder. It will heat up when we get closer to Jack, but it's not really my size..." he joked. She took it from him and slipped it on her finger. She rolled her eyes at him and laughed, "Let's just pretend that didn't happen, yes?" He breathed a sigh of relief, "That works well for me..."

* * *

Finally, after a bit more dozing, they landed in Paris. Snow hadn't been there for so long and she found herself feeling a little excited by the prospect of exploring the city and seeing Marie once again. Marie had agreed to meet them at the arrivals gate and she spotted Snow almost immediately and shouted and waving like crazy. Snow rushed ahead a little and embraced her friend, and they exchanged hurried greetings as Bigby followed on behind. "Marie, this is Bigby, our Sheriff! He doesn't speak much French so English will have to do for now!" Marie turned to face him and extended her hand for him to shake. She was slightly taller than Snow and had long blonde hair that she had styled into a long plait. She reminded him a little of Cindy, but with dazzling green eyes instead of blue. _"Snow I had no idea he was such a sexy beast..._Oh Sorry Sheriff it's a pleasure to meet you!" Snow rolled her eyes and Bigby just smiled blankly, "Please call me Bigby" and he squeezed her hand in his. Marie giggled and grabbed Snow's hand and pulled them both off out into the fresh air. Bigby almost immediately lit up a huff and puff and exhaled long and slow, finally able to dull his overworked nose after so long. Snow glanced at the ring on her finger, "It's warm! Does that mean he's nearby?" she asked. Bigby glanced around, "it's probably more likely that it's picked him up somewhere in the city. When it starts burning, that's when we need to start worrying."

After a short journey out of the city centre they finally reached Marie's home. It was a modest flat with very few personal touches. "I have always had to be ready to run" she said sadly when they settled on her sofa, "means I can't ever really make a place my own." Snow patted her hand with sympathy and looked at Bigby whose attention had been caught by the tabloid papers scattered over Marie's coffee table. The front cover was plastered with pictures of the victims and he did a double take. "These women...they look an awful lot like..._you._" She sighed and smiled grimly, "It would seem I was his type no?" He leant back against the seat of his chair and surveyed her for a moment. "I think it's time I heard the full story, I'm not charging around Paris after this nutter without knowing exactly what I'm up against!" Snow coughed, "Sorry, what _we_ are up against." He caught Snow smile slightly and they both turned to look at Marie. "Alright Monsieur, that seems fair." and with a deep breath, she began.

* * *

**Oh I do love a cliffhanger! Next update shouldn't be too long! Until next time xxx**


	4. Chapter 4

**Marie's story at last! I have to admit, coming up with a fable that hadn't already been used was difficult to say the least, and the one I chose had the least creepy story. I can only say je suis desole dear reader! Just type in Princess Mayblossom into google and you'll get the full story :) Other than that...Enjoy!**

Princess Mayblossom had fled from the Homelands after her husband, a fine and gentle prince, had been murdered by the Adversary. Using a jewel inherited from her mother, she was able to remain invisible for her entire journey to a portal that led her to this Mundy world. Once she revealed herself, she was greeted by a young woman, her skin as white as snow, her hair as black as coal, and they became fast friends. After a time the girl with hair as black as coal decided to head off to the New World, in the hope that all the Fables would have a safe haven in which to live, but Mayblossom decided to stay so they parted ways as good friends wishing each other luck.

Deciding Mayblossom was perhaps a bit of a giveaway, she changed her name to Marie as passed herself off as a simple French maiden. She still had plenty of adventures and kept in regular contact with her friend in the New World, sharing stories of how fast this Mundy world could change. Centuries past and Marie had relocated to the Paris. She adored it. Being able to lose herself in such a busy place was a luxury for a fable such as she. In 1888, Europe's eye was fixed on London, as a grizzly murderer took siege upon the city. The murders were gruesome and worse still; the killer could easily evade capture. He was a mad man on the loose, Jack the Ripper they called him. Marie, like most people, was troubled by this monster but thanked her lucky stars she was living in a different city. Eventually the murders ceased and Jack the Ripper became something of a legend. People were wary, but the panic seemed to ebb. What had happened to this ghastly criminal? Would he ever strike again?

* * *

In 1889 Marie met a charming man named Edward Saunders. He was a simple Mundy, but she liked his company and he treated her well. He was originally from England, but had moved to Paris to open new offices for his father's wool factory, he had told her. He was tall and slender with sandy blonde hair. He had boyish features that made him look younger than his years. After a few months of romance, Marie had to end it. She couldn't marry a Mundy, the risks were too high. She told Edward she was leaving, and he flew into a rage, reminding her of the Ambassador she once ran away with, long ago. She fled, telling him she never wanted to see him again, but it seemed Edward had a few plans of his own. A week after their romance ended, she spotted him while she was shopping at a flower market. He looked pale and cold, not a bit like himself at all. She approached him and he looked at her, with burning hate that made her blood turn to ice, she spun on her heel and ran until she was out of breath.

The next morning she was reading the paper when she was struck by a small article. A young woman had recently gone missing and her family were appealing for help. The picture they supplied showed a pretty girl with flowing blonde hair, who looked very similar to Marie and she dropped the paper. _It couldn't be_ she prayed. She tried to push it from her mind but as the days dragged on the girl's picture began popping up on the front of every paper. People even stopped her in the street mistaking her for the missing woman. Eventually everyone's worst fears were confirmed. Her body was dumped on the banks of the Seine, mangled and disfigured, missing a finger from her left hand. Had Jack the Ripper struck again in Paris or was this just the work of an insane copycat? Marie was appalled by the news, but even worse, when she opened her mail the same morning she was greeted with a grizzly gift. A woman's finger wrapped in linen, with two words carved into the side: _You're next._

After several attempts at calling, Marie finally managed to reach Snow White. Snow had offered to come to Paris and collect her, but Marie refused. She didn't want Snow caught up in this mess, and by the time the ships had carried her to Paris it might be too late. "What about your mother's jewel? The one that kept you invisible?" Marie slapped her forehead, how could she have forgotten? She put in motion an elaborate plan, selling her apartment, buying train tickets to multiple destinations across Europe and finally withdrawing all her money from a safety deposit box. She had to leave her beloved city for, for now, but it would keep her alive.

The plan was flawless, and under the protection of her mother's jewel she would be free of him at last. She made a great spectacle of leaving her apartment, making sure she was constantly visible in the crowd, her long blonde hair shimmering in the morning sun. She reached the Gare du Nord at 9am and found the platform was nice and busy. Very easy to get lost in. She took a free space behind a pillar and slipped on the jewel she had fashioned into a bracelet, no one took the slightest bit of notice. _Mundy's, when will they learn to look?_

"That's a very nice trinket my dear" a cold voice whispered in her ear. She almost fell to the floor and she turned and stared into the face of Edward Saunders. His one bright and youthful face was waxy and pale as death, and his eyes were burning red and she almost screamed. She could tell he couldn't see her, but his proximity left her very little room to manoeuvre, so she was trapped as he breathed the smell of death onto her. "I think we both need to come clean now my love. I'll go first, now let's see, ah yes! Firstly: _I_ am not Edward Saunders, _I _am responsible for the murder of that lovely young woman who looked just like you and..." he lowered his voice to barely a whisper, "_I _am Jack the Ripper." She gasped and tried to edge slowly away, maybe to capture the attention of one of the Mundy's. As if sensing her movement, he pushed slowly towards her and trapped her again. "It's not my actual name of course but as soon as those London paper's started calling me that, I became..._this._ A masterpiece of fear and terror. I can blend in and look innocent, but once those girls see my true nature...then they can appreciate me for what I truly am." Somewhere in the distance a whistle blew and he grinned, "You're going to miss your train love! Or is it the next one to Lyon, or the 15:10 to Munich?" and he chuckled coldly.

"Now it's your turn, but I'll do it for you as you seem to have lost your voice, I have the effect on women you see_. You _are some kind of nasty witch, your little vanishing act will attest to that. _You_ may think that you can hide from me with silly little tricks but I _will_ find you, I can smell your fear. And lastly, as a fitting tribute to the way you so callously broke my heart, when I finally get my hands on you, you will find me to be quite unforgiving." She whimpered, and backed into the pillar. Her movement caused an elderly gentleman's suitcase to topple over and she had just seconds to make her escape. She pushed the demon standing in front her and leapt over the fallen luggage and tore along the platform. She tried to be careful but she ended up crashing through large crowds and toppling over even more baggage that crossed her path. She glanced behind her and observed the path of destruction she had left. Despite her invisibility 'Edward' was catching up and she knew she had to get smart before she got killed.

Looking at the departures board she spotted another one of her getaways was only 5 minutes from departure. _Brussels it is then_ and she made a break for the ticket barrier. She quickly looked over her shoulder to see him looking around wildly trying to find her. She reached the last carriage of the train and began to climb the stairs, panting wondering if she had pulled it off.

The back carriage had a window which she pressed up against watching him tear his hair in frustration. As she leant against the window, her breath began to fog up the glass, despite her invisibility. Horrified, she watched as he turned and stared directly at her, his evil grin plastered over his face. He began sprinting towards her train as she heard a whistle scream further down the platform. The train jolted into action but she panicked willing it to go faster before he could catch her. She slammed the door of the train and held it tightly, bracing it with all her weight as she watched out of the window as he gained on the train only meters from her. Tears were streaming down her cheeks as she stamped her feet begging for the train to getaway.

To her relief the train picked up pace and he couldn't catch her. He stopped running and stared at the train watching her escape. She removed her bracelet and leant against the wall sinking to the floor sobbing. She had done it, and now she had to run for her life, wondering if she would ever be able to return to Paris.


	5. Chapter 5

**I hope you've recovered from the previous chapter! But I think it's time our fabulous duo met the man in question!**

**Enjoy and please review!**

Snow and Bigby had listened in stunned silence as Marie told her story. Snow had even dug her nails into her knees as Marie described her escape on the train. After numerous escapes from many European destinations, Marie had finally returned to Paris, hoping perhaps that Jack had finally given up on her. But now with the murders of three young women, all whom bore a striking resemblance to her, she knew he was back for her. Snow recounted how Marie had checked in with her every so often as to keep her up to date, but now it was time to end this pursuit.

Bigby leaned back in his seat and pondered the information. "When you and Edward or_ Jack_, were dating, did you ever see that vicious side of him?" He asked and she thought for a moment. "Yes I suppose I did, but never aimed at me. Once or twice he would argue with men, who had approached me, and they would always back away terrified, but when he looked at me, he was a picture of calm." She sighed sadly, "I thought he was being chivalrous I suppose?" Bigby nodded and stood up, stretching his legs, heading over to the window. The stench of the city was overwhelming and he found it difficult to narrow anything down. There was of course the ever present scent of Snow, who was giving off an aroma of sadness and something else. _Fear._

He spun around and looked at Marie, "you said he could smell your fear, do you think that was just a turn of phrase?" She shrugged and looked at Snow, "he was a totally different man at the station; he seemed to have powers beyond that of a mortal man so maybe...maybe he could?" She shivered and Snow wrapped a comforting arm around her shoulders, looking at Bigby with confusion. When she steadied herself Marie exclaimed, "Oh my poor friends you must be hungry! Why don't you both freshen up and we can go for dinner tonight?" She said brightly and they agreed.

Snow headed into the shower gratefully, relaxing a little as she felt the warm water run over her aching body. She couldn't believe what Marie had been through, all alone. When she found out about Crane and his...obsession she had never felt so cut off, she couldn't imagine having to run from him all this time, knowing he wanted to kill her too! She thought for a moment and snapped at herself, _you weren't alone! Bigby was there...Bigby was always there..._

Bigbyran his hands over his face as he tried to massage out the ache in his nose. "Here, you look like you could do with this?" He opened his eyes to find Marie standing over him with a cigarette in her hand. He chuckled and took it gladly as she sat next to him and offered a lighter, and he took the first puff since they had landed. Utter relief flooded through his body and he exhaled long and slow. She chuckled and lit her own as they sat, their knees occasionally bumping into each other. He rubbed his nose again as her scent flooded his nostrils and turned to look at her. "Thank you for coming to help me Sheriff, I really appreciate it" she said shyly. "It's no problem, and please call me Bigby...I'm not one for titles." He smiled and she shifted to face him properly. "No you're not are you? But I bet you're a good sheriff? You don't miss much..." She lifted her hand and ran a finger along his jaw. Bigby heard the door open as he backed his head away from her hand. The scent of sorrow flooded the room as Bigby turned to look at Snow, her face a picture of sadness, but she quickly recovered and plastered a smile on her face. "I feel much better after that! I'm starving Bigby; you better hurry up and change so we can get going." She flustered around the room and Marie looked apologetically at Bigby. "I'm sorry, I forgot...oh never mind." Feeling utterly drained he pulled himself up and headed into the bathroom and tried to clear his head.

Snow was staring at a magazine listening to the water running in the bathroom. _What the hell had she just walked in to? Were they about to kiss? Were they in love? Why was she so upset by it?_ She shook her head and tried to erase the image from her mind. "That must be an interesting article! You've been reading it for five minutes!" Marie sat down tentatively next to Snow, who put the magazine in her lap. "Snow I'm sorry, I don't know what came over me! He didn't do anything I promise!" Snow shook her head, "Marie please, Bigby is free to be with whomever he wishes, it doesn't concern me, we're just colleagues, I keep telling you." She rubbed the bridge of her nose and stood up, heading over to the window looking out over the small, quiet street. "Perhaps you are right" Marie said quietly and left Snow to her thoughts.

* * *

Dinner was an awkward affair, with Marie trying to keep the conversation light and airy without much success. Snow couldn't snap out of her mood, she toyed with her food and kept glancing a Bigby, who was looking at her almost constantly, only to look away when she caught him. He wanted to grab her and tell her he had no idea what was happening and if he was going to kiss anyone, it would only be her! Instead he remained silent and prayed for some interruption.

His prayers were answered when Snow jumped suddenly and stared at her hand. "Ouch! It's burning like a furnace!" She wiggled her hand and shook it as the ring burned around her finger until she managed to pull it off. Bigby prodded the burning metal as Marie scanned the area and she gasped, "He's here! Look!" She pointed to the other side of the courtyard and Snow and Bigby whipped around, straining across in the dark until they spotted him, a figure of pale white, and burning red eyes. Snow gasped and grabbed Bigby's arm tightly, as he kept his eyes fixed on the man. He tried to pick up a scent, which he detected but only vaguely, he smelt like death. As quick as a blink he was gone and the three of them were left shaken. "He looks ghastly!" Snow cried and slowly released Bigby's arm, poking the ring again which had slowly cooled. Bigby stood suddenly, "You two head home, I think I can track him down, but you need to get somewhere safe! Go now and don't argue Snow!" He padded off across the courtyard leaving the two women speechless. Snow grabbed the ring and they settled the bill, grumbling about Bigby, all the while hoping he would be safe.

His trench coat disappeared around a corner and he was gone, so they hurried back to Marie's apartment. As Marie fumbled with the keys Snow yelped in pain again as the ring burned her palm._ How could that be?_ They turned together to see a monster of a man striding towards them, his waxy face contorted to a manic smile. "Marie my dear! At last! And a little friend to play with too!" Snow dropped the ring to the floor and went to run, but Jack was too fast for her, he grabbed her and wrapped an arm around her throat, pressing a sharp knife to her neck. "Shush now dear! If you come quietly Marie I might let your little friend here live!" Snow strained and the pressure around her throat became tighter until she could barely breathe. "Marie...run!" Jack tutted and pressed harder until Snow choked and went limp in his arms. "Well then, come along my dear." And he took her by the arm, Snow hoisted over his shoulder, and they vanished into the night.


	6. Chapter 6

**So Snow and Marie are chilling with Jack, but where does that leave Bigby? We'll rewind for a moment and see what happened!**

**French is in italics because as much as I would like to be fluent in French...I'm not...**

**Enjoy :D**

Bigby had crossed the courtyard from the restaurant fairly quickly and figured he must only be a few hundred yards behind his prey. The scent of decay was stronger and he quickened his pace, listening intently for the tell-tale sounds of footsteps. He would have preferred to change into his wolf form but he couldn't risk it in a city as busy as Paris. He rounded a corner and peered into an unlit alleyway, his night vision was still reliable and as he scanned the street he caught sight of two red eyes that looked as if they were floating in mid-air.

"Congratulations, you've caught me!" a cruel voice called out from the darkness, that made Bigby want to shiver. "It was very brave of you to leave those two lovely ladies alone so you could chase little old me! That'll make it much easier to take them away now" he giggled like a madman and suddenly the two eyes were gone. Bigby sniffed and was positive he could still smell decay, so he ventured into the darkness, trying not to lose his nerve. He couldn't see any sign of Jack and began to panic about Snow and Marie, when suddenly a floodlight flicked on, illuminating the alleyway. Nothing but trash cans met him and the sound of an enraged Frenchman, shouting about wasting his electricity. Bigby could barely hear him as he scanned around for Jack, and realised the scent was just the garbage and drains. Swearing aloud he tore back down the path he had followed and arrived outside the restaurant again. Trying to keep calm he stormed along the busier streets and tried to reassure himself, that they would be safe. When he finally arrived at Marie's apartment however, his heart sank. The lights were off and on closer inspection of the door, he noted fresh scrapes on the paintwork, suggesting Marie had struggled or dragged her nails along the woodwork.

He kicked a plant pot out of frustration and ran his fingers through his hair, wave after wave of panic crashing over him. He could still smell Snow's scent so they couldn't have been long before he arrived but it was little consolation. He paced around trying to gather his thoughts when he spotted something glinting on the ground. **Well done Snow! **He thought as he realised she had dropped the ring that would locate this lunatic, and Bigby felt giddy with relief, **not out of the race just yet!** He stuffed the trinket in his pocket and managed to pick the lock to Marie's front door quickly enough, letting himself inside. He needed to do some planning and then he would make this bastard pay.

* * *

Snow White had never been one to admit defeat, but as she sat in a rickety wooden chair, her wrists bound to each arm and her ankles strapped equally as tightly to the legs of the chair, she started to feel as if this **might **be the one time she had to. Her throat was in agony from where he had choked her and her face stung from the slaps she had received to rouse her. Once she had awoken he seemed to have little interest in her, and he paced around the room assembling hideously sharp looking instruments that made her stomach twist and knot. She scanned around for Marie and gasped when she spotted her friend collapsed on the floor, her long blonde hair sprawled above her head light a beam of light. Jack noticed her gasp and scanned his eyes to see what had caught her attention and walked to Marie's lifeless body, "Oh my dear Marie. She never was one for doing as she was told. I used to love that about her but now..." he tutted and picked her up, placing her on a wooden table in the centre of the room, strapping her down with numerous ropes that made Snow cringe as she saw they were soaked in blood.

"She was only trying to protect you!" Snow said hurriedly, "she didn't want to have to marry you only to break your heart!" Jack glared at her, his eyes flashing dangerously. "Then she shouldn't have got involved with me in the first place!" he shouted and Marie stirred a little. He ran a long, white finger along her cheek, down her throat and across her breast, taking a steadying breath until he looked at Snow again. "She's a filthy whore and a wicked little witch. I cannot rest knowing she is alive, so she must die. The heartache she has caused has been unimaginable. I see her **everywhere**_" _he whispered and brought his face down, so he was inches away from Marie's neck. He buried his nose in her hair and kissed her face and neck. "Stop that!" Snow shouted and Jack snapped out of his haze. "Oh alright, I'll just get on with killing her shall I?" and he turned back to his instruments.

Snow squirmed in her chair and her eyes shot around the room for something she could use to escape. She could smell damp and decay and realised they were in some kind of disused maintenance room that lead off from an old tunnel or sewer. The room was spattered in blood that made her feel sick and apart from the grotty furniture she and Marie were tied to, there was nothing she could use to break free. Trying not to panic she wiggled her arms and found her bonds loosened ever so slightly, and she gently tried to create some slack without drawing his attention. He hummed quietly to himself and Snow looked at Marie, who began to stir a little more. Her eyes fluttered open and closed and her head lolled to the side so she was looking directly at Snow White, tears spilling down her cheeks. "_I'm so sorry Snow, I didn't mean to get you caught up in this!_" she mumbled and Snow shook her head, her own tears forming, "_Don't be silly, we could still make it out of here!" _Marie gave a mixture between and laugh and a sob, "_Always the optimist"_ and Snow smiled.

As they spoke, Snow had managed to free one of her ankles from the ropes that bound her to the chair and carefully tried to pull her other leg free. She heard a clunk and remained perfectly still as she watched Jack drop a knife he was arranging and spun around to look at her. "_Snow?_ Your name is Snow? Did I translate that correctly?" Snow nodded slowly praying he wouldn't notice her loose bonds. He circled around the table and stood only inches away from her, staring at her face. "Hair as black a coal, skin as white as snow, lips as red as **blood.**" She shivered as he ran a waxy finger across her lip and turned away from his snake-like face. Now she was this close to him, she could smell the rotting smell that came from his breath, and saw his eyes were bloodshot and hollow. He was like a skeleton, and she wondered how he had managed to survive all these years. "I can't believe it! Are you actually Snow White? The 'fairest of them all'?" he laughed and it echoed coldly around the room. She batted her eyelashes at him, "Of course! But you should know...I'm not very **fair**!" She kicked her free leg forward and it connected with his groin, causing him to buckle in pain. Managing to untangle herself she wasted no time landing another punch to his cheek and heard it crack very satisfyingly. He fell to the floor and she shook her limbs free, and smashed the chair over his head. She was sure it hadn't done much damage, but the surprise had winded him and it gave her just enough time to manoeuvre. She grabbed a sharp knife and cut Marie free, dragging her friend quickly off the table and they sprinted out into the sewer, that still had stagnant, ankle deep water, that they narrowly avoided plunging into.

Hearing him bark with rage, she pulled Marie and they sprinted along the tunnels, there footsteps bouncing off the walls creating a closed in feeling Snow couldn't bear. The tunnel forked left and right and Marie who had managed to drag herself back to reality pulled Snow left and pressed a finger to her lips, suggesting they try and tread a little more carefully. They tiptoed along the narrow bank, covering their mouths with their hands hoping he wouldn't catch the sound of them breathing. The tunnel forked again and they sped down to the right this time and found a little recess, big enough for the two of them. The pressed their bodies into the small gaps and stared at each other, eyes wide as they listened for any sound. Snow's stomach dropped to the floor as she heard his footsteps approach ever so slowly, she pressed herself harder against the cold stone and prayed he would follow the other fork, away from them. She saw Marie jump as his cold voice filled the air. "You can't stay down here forever ladies, I know these tunnels like the back of my hand!" They remained silent, barely breathing. "Have it your way!" And his footsteps grew fainter as he paced back to his little den of torture. They stayed there for what felt like a lifetime, not daring to move for fear he might have tricked them. Eventually Snow nodded at Marie and they extracted themselves from the recess and continued along the tunnel hoping for an exit. She closed her eyes and thought of Bigby, hoping he would be able to find them, wondering if he was safe. She had made her mind up about one thing, if anyone is going to kiss him; it was going to be her!

* * *

**Badass Snow is badass...**


	7. Chapter 7

**Snow's done her bit, now Bigby has to use those amazing powers of deduction to find Jack and his prisoners! Will he save them in time?**

Bigby had made excellent progress in the half an hour since Snow and Marie's abduction. He had managed to find a map of Paris and plotted a few key locations; the three locations were the most recent murders were found; Marie's apartment and the alleyway he had just left Jack in. All the bodies had been left in the Northern parts of Paris, mostly around Montmartre which led Bigby to believe this was Jack's comfort zone and he was unlikely to venture out much further than that. Marie's apartment and the alleyway were nearer to the city centre in the Le Marais district of Paris, and Bigby studied his route from the alleyway to the apartment and shook his head. How the heck had he travelled so damn fast, Bigby had gone as fast as he could between the two and still completely missed the three of them? He leaned back into his chair and closed his eyes, trying to remember anything from the encounter that could be useful.

He wracked his brain, but he couldn't focus. The stench of Paris was taking its toll and he lit another cigarette, trying to clear his mind. He could remember the red eyes, almost floating in the air burning into him and it made him shudder. He also remembered Jack's scent, rotten and decayed, so heavy it must have been ingrained in his clothes. He shook his head, remembering the light flooding the alleyway leaving nothing but trash and sewage. His eyes snapped open suddenly and wondered if he had been ignoring his most trusted sense. If Jack stank of sewage and crap, maybe there was a less supernatural reason for it. Was he actually crawling around in a sewer?

He jumped up and walked over to Marie's bookshelf, holding his cigarette loosely in his mouth and he scanned the spines of the books. Running his fingers along them he brushed past cookery books, novels and autobiographies until he landed on a worn out book about Paris' history which he quickly pulled from the shelf. Flicking through the pages, chuffing on his smoke, he finally found a map of subterranean Paris. Lots of squiggly blue lines denoted the new modern tunnels and sewers that were built to make way for the growing population, but he was interested in the few remaining lines of red. God bless the Mundy's for being interested in crap all the time! He grabbed a pen and copied the lines as close as he could to his bigger map. With grim satisfaction he saw that his lines met with each of his markers, three separate entrances where the bodies were found, plus several that lead all the way from the alleyway, up to Montmartre, with a few stops along the way, some very close to Marie's apartment.

"Sewers? That's what we're going with?" he said aloud and stubbed out his cigarette, "fair enough!" He stood up and folded up his map as small as possible, tucking it into his trouser pocket along with Totenkinder's ring. He left his coat behind, and stepped out into the chilly air, thankfully it was only 3am so most of Paris was still tucked up in bed, so he could make quick progress to the nearest drain access just a few streets away. Standing over the drain he spotted a drop of blood that he identified as Marie's, and a few strands of black hair that could only have been Snow's. Hooking his fingers into the drain he pulled it out with ease and peered into the gloom. The smell washed over him like a wave, but he placed a foot gingerly on the ladder and descended into the dark. Despite the smell, his senses were sharp as razors down here. He could see fairly easily despite the lack of light and his tread was light and swift despite the echoy chamber. He felt confident that whilst Jack might be comfortable down here, he could still approach him by stealth and save the two women. His ears were yet to detect any signs of life, but he was still a far distance from Montmartre, so he quickened his pace and made sure he kept heading north.

Just 15 minutes later, Bigby had covered an astonishing amount of ground and was already entering the district of Montmartre, albeit from underneath. He had worried that he was on the wrong path, until he discovered a rather modern looking cable that was plugged into an old generator which he could only assume was being used as Jack's power source for his little home. The ring was burning dully in his pocket too which pushed him further onwards. Slowing his pace down a little, he was able again to creep along unheard, and listened intently to see if he was getting any closer to his quarry. He could hear a male voice, ranting and raving somewhere in the distance but no sound of any female voices. Taking a gulp he sniffed the air again and was sure he could detect the faintest smell of sweetness that could have only been Snow. That had to mean she was alive! Trying not to run like a maniac he quickened his pace, careful to not make any sound if he could help it at all.

As he came closer he could hear Jack ranting, with the occasional sound of a knife being sharpened. "...I won't let her slip away from me again. I will not abide it! She must have used witchcraft again, the filthy whore and her nasty little friend, it could only be that. But they won't get far! This is my playground..." he cackled and kept raving at himself while Bigby shook his head in disgust, although his heart leapt knowing they were both still alive. He followed the voice that lead him towards a glow of light that lined the tunnels for a few hundred meters. As he debated what to do, Bigby noticed the muttering had stopped and Jack was walking around his little workshop so he decided to wait and see where the madman would lead him. If Jack knew these tunnels, it'd probably be his best shot at finding Marie and Snow. Quickly taking refuge in a recess he hid just in time as Jack came onto the main walkway of the tunnel and shouted "Ready or not ladies, here I come" and emitted a long howl of laughter.

He stalked off away from Bigby who counted 20 paces and then followed on behind. Fortunately for him the tunnels forked left and right so Bigby wasn't at too much risk of being spotted. As he followed, Snow's scent grew stronger, and Bigby spotted a recess like the one he had hidden in that had clearly held her smell for a while. After a few moments in silence Jack came to another fork and stopped, tapping his foot impatiently. He paced to and fro for a moment and took a deep sniff, his brows furrowed with concentration and frustration. "Where have those nasty witches gone?" he mumbled to himself and ran the blunt edge of his knife along his fingers. As Bigby watched he tried to track them himself and figured they had gone off to the right based on what he could smell. He toyed with the idea of taking Jack out now but before he could move he heard, faintly in the distance a cry. The still and stagnant water rippled round to the right, just a little and it was just enough for Jack to pick up the trail again.

Bigby grimaced and tried to keep up with Jack who had sprinted off down the tunnel, his spindly legs moving quickly like a spider, his footsteps bouncing along the walls. The water began to ripple more as the two men drew nearer to whatever had caused the disturbance. Bigby could hear Marie and Snow struggling as they tried to escape. He wanted to shout that he was there, but he couldn't risk Jack getting loose, so he stayed quiet, using the growing noise to mask his own heavier footsteps. He managed to catch himself as he almost ran head first into Jack who had stopped on the edge of what looked like a long narrow swimming pool, but not the kind you would like to go for a dip in. To one side, Snow was knee deep in filthy water as she watched Marie struggling at the top of a ladder trying to push open a manhole cover. As she saw Jack she shouted at Marie to push harder while Jack merely laughed and slowly edged round. "That was quite an impressive attempt at escaping my dears! No one has ever got that far before, but now this must end. I'm getting a little sick of chasing around after you both." Marie continued to press as much of her weight into the metal plate as possible but it refused to budge. "Can't your witchcraft work here?" he cackled and Snow flared up in anger. "We're not witches you idiot! Besides, how do you explain _your_ unnaturally long life?" He shrugged and smiled, "I am ridding this world of evil, one wicked witch at a time. It's only fair that I receive just rewards!"

"I couldn't agree more pal" Bigby growled and grabbed Jack by the collar, slamming him into the wall of the tunnel, causing the monster to go limp and drop to the floor. Bigby looked at Snow whose eyes were wider than dinner plates by this point. "I can't tell you how pleased I am to see you!" she breathed as Bigby smiled warmly and offered a hand to her so she could climb out of the pool. She wrapped her arms around his waist and buried her nose into his shirt as he pulled her in a little more tightly. Marie clambered back down into the water and rolled her eyes, "Oh for god's sake! Can you two save the romantic reunion for a more appropriate time? We have a mass murderer and delusional stalker at our feet!" she yelled in a heavy accent and Snow blushed, smiling guiltily at Bigby. He cleared his throat loudly and blushed a little himself, scratching the back of his neck, "so what are we going to do with this piece of crap?" he said nudging Jack with the toe of his shoe. "Let's drown the bastard in sewage water?" Marie suggested as Snow helped her out of the pool, and the three of them stared down at him. "I'm on board. What do you think Snow?" She glanced up at him and then back at Marie, whose face was white as a sheet and she nodded ever so slightly. Bigby placed the toe of his shoe onto Jack's ribs and rolled him to the edge, until he unceremoniously splashed into the opaque water and sunk to the bottom. They watched for a moment and Bigby reached around in his pocket for the ring that had slowly been burning a hole in his pocket, and held it in the palm of his hand. Snow poked it and the heat faded to cool and she sighed with relief.

Marie leaned back onto the wall and closed her eyes, while Snow reached out her fingers and held onto Bigby's hand. He couldn't help but beam at her, as his hand closed around her fingers and she cleared her throat. "Shall we get the hell out of here?" she asked and Marie's eyes snapped open. "Yes, I think that would be a good idea" she chuckled and her eyes caught a glimpse of their intertwined hands. "_Just colleagues are you? Heaven's above Snow you really do pick your moments"_ she continued and Snow just shushed her hoping Bigby's French really was as limited as he had told her. Bigby lead the way, Snow following after and Marie at the back as they retraced their steps back away from the pool towards the workshop. It was dark, but Bigby was a good guide and they made good progress along the tunnels until they could start to see light glow ahead. Snow told Bigby everything that had happened since they were separated and she couldn't help but be impressed at how he had managed to find them so quickly. Suddenly he halted and yelped in pain, but she couldn't see him, "Bigby what's wrong?" she said panic seeping into her voice. "I'm alright, something's burning me! It's this stupid fucking ring!" he growled and she gasped, "How can that be? He's dead, it went cold!"

A cold cackle erupted behind them and Snow backed away into Bigby's chest, hating not being able to see in this gloom. "You should always double check that they're dead, otherwise they can surprise you!" The familiar chill set into her bones as he spoke from a distance, his voice echoing around them, and she shouted out for Marie. "Oh Marie's busy at the minute, but you'll have her back soon enough...although I can't promise she'll be in one piece!" He cackled again and his voice faded into a ghostly whisper.


	8. Chapter 8

**Of course it wasn't going to be that easy! Now Bigby and Snow are reunited but there's no time for romance when Marie's life hangs in the balance! Will they track the pair down or will they disappear into the night for good? French is in italics as usual!**

Snow shivered violently as Jack's voice faded into nothingness, her back pressed into Bigby's unmoving chest glad for the support as she felt her legs wobble underneath her. "Oh god" she breathed as Bigby grabbed hold of her hand and started pulling her away towards the light, she followed blindly in the dark unable to think straight, terrified at what was going to happen to Marie. "What are you doing, we need to go after him!" She finally said tugging against his hand. "We'll never catch him that way. We need to regroup and I'd rather do it with a bit of light" he muttered and they walked in silence, her hand clenched around his.

Finally they reached Jack's workshop and Bigby spread out his map across the blood stained table, grimacing as his nose was assaulted by the smell of death. "Wow, you really did your homework" Snow muttered a she traced a finger along his hand drawn lines and he shrugged, "It seemed like the sort of thing a sheriff might do?" She smiled a little and motioned to the map, "So what are your thoughts?" He huffed and pulled out a cigarette, hoping it might muffle the smells that filled the tiny room, and let it hang loosely in his mouth. "I reckon my little visit is going to push him out of these tunnels. I would be able to pick up the sounds of Marie being murdered, as they would echo all around these walls. If you look at the map, the tunnels are quite long, but limited, most of it being blocked off. I doubt he would purposefully trap himself, so up and out is the only option available." She blinked and shook her head, "That was very...impressive Bigby" and she travelled around the table to stand next to him and pointed to the three 'X's' that Bigby had marked to denote the bodies, "These bodies are quite close to three different sewer outlets, so it would make sense for him to be somewhere here right?" She said and made a circle with her finger around the Western area of Montmartre. "That's probably where he feels comfortable, so that would be my guess too" and she nodded again and folded up the map. "Then let's please get out of this stench and go and find Marie!"

* * *

He couldn't believe it! He actually had her, after all these centuries he was this close to putting an end to his wicked witch's reign of terror! And now she wasn't being helped by the girl and that meddling American he would be able to take him time with her. It was a shame he would have to leave the tunnels for now, but he knew they would take too long to work out where he would be, so he didn't need to worry too much. She stirred a little on his shoulder but he ignored her, as he began to hum occasionally chuckling to himself. "_Edward please?_" He heard her mutter in her soft French tones that used to bring him such delight. "_I just wanted you to be happy and I knew if I told you who I really was, you would be hurt!" _He dug his nails into her back as he carried her and she whimpered. "So you finally admit you're a wicked witch then?" He said triumphantly and increased his pace, eager to do the deed hoping she wouldn't be able to trick him with witchcraft again. "_I'm not a witch! I'm a Fable, I come from the pages of a story...that's why I've lived for so long, and as our stories endure we can live forever. That's what happened to you!" _Her breathing was heavy and laboured as he slowed to a stop. He was nearing the very last exit tunnel that would lead him out, up to the surface of Paris but he wasn't sure of the time, so he had to be careful. Emerging from the sewers carrying a barely conscious woman would probably draw some unwanted attention so he had to be cautious. He dropped her to the floor with a loud thud and she moaned again in agony, and he slowly moved to the end of the tunnel and climbed the ladder that lead to a large manhole cover. He pushed up and cursed as he saw daylight, it would be risky, but he couldn't chance staying in the sewers for her friends to find her. He had to move and it had to be now.

"We shall have to test both of our endurance levels then my dear" he said coldly as he carefully pushed the metal cover off completely and slide down the ladder. She had bumped her head when he dropped her and a small trickle of blood had dripped down her face, and she had very little energy to resist him. Dragging her roughly up again, he tossed her over his shoulder with ease and returned to climb the ladder. He managed to push her out awkwardly and her body rolled onto the cold pavement, her arms now covered in scrapes and cuts from the action. He climbed out quickly and dragged her body to one side as he heard voices growing nearer. They had emerged into a little alleyway which wasn't normally used by the locals of Montmartre, unless they were shooting up or committing some other foul deed, and at 5am he was relieved to see it was empty. The alleyway was directly opposite the Cemetery of Montmartre and he knew it was only a few meters of walking before he could hide safely behind the walls and tombs of the dead. Under cover of darkness, these few meters were child's play, but Marie was alive and the dawn was slowly coming. He dragged her to her feet and she wobbled slightly. "_Marie, I want you to be very good. Stand up my darling and walk quickly. I don't want you to do anything silly..." _and he slowly dug a knife into her side, making her gasp. She leant all of her weight on to him, her head swimming a little from the bang it had received and he slowly pulled her forward. It was slow work and he was sweating under the pressure, trying to make some kind of plan in case someone suddenly appeared. His pace increased as her feet brushed along the pavement, and he carried her for the last half of the walk.

They slipped behind the gate and her legs gave way, but showing no mercy he dragged her along the cobbled stones into the maze of tombs and crypts. She stumbled as she tried to pull herself to standing, leaving trails of blood on the stones. She pressed her hand to her bleeding forehead and smeared blood onto a few of the structures, wondering if it would be enough for Bigby and Snow to find her. As the tombs became more and more dense he opted to carry her the rest of the way, but the sudden rush of blood to her head made Marie whine until her vision went blurry and she couldn't remain conscious for another second.

* * *

"All I can smell is drains" Snow mumbled as they walked through the city streets, ignoring the strange looks from Paris' early risers. "You still smell pretty good to me" Bigby said absentmindedly as he consulted a street sign and crossed over the road, heading west towards one of the dump sites. She looked at him but he was lost in thought and seemed not to notice his little admission. They finally stopped a few meters from where the first body was found and glanced around, wondering what they were going to find. Pulling the map out of his pocket he unfolded it, focusing on the area they were currently in. He traced a finger and pointed over to a small alleyway a few meters away, "That was probably his access point there. Let's check it out. I should be able to pick up Marie's scent if they came that way." With that, they rushed over and Snow waited at the entrance of the passage, while Bigby stalked around, occasionally sniffing or kicking over litter. He emerged shaking his head, "he was here, but Marie definitely wasn't..." Looking at the map she scanned across the page and bit her lip. "Well the next site is only two streets away, let's get going!" They rushed off and came to the next site, looking around for the entrance of the site. They were shocked to see Mundy construction workers surrounding the drain and they looked at each other. "The next one is our last shot. If they didn't go that way...I don't know where we could start looking..." Bigby said and she took his hand, "We'll find her...I know it!" she said confidently and pulled him in the direction of the last site.

The cemetery looked imposing as the sky behind was a gloomy grey and Snow started getting a funny feeling in her stomach. Bigby suddenly stopped and took a deep inhale. "I think I can smell blood" he said in a gravelly voice and he followed the scent, poking his head around another alleyway. "He had a perfect set up! Plenty of cover and a complete lack of interest from the Mundy's." She murmured in agreement and gasped as she made her way down the passage. "Bigby look! He left the drain open...and this looks like blood!" Bigby's nostrils confirmed and they followed the scent out of the alleyway once more. He pointed to a drop of blood that was shortly followed by another. They both stopped at the curb and looked up in the direction of the trail and Bigby groaned. "This guy really likes the smell of death doesn't he?" She could only nod as she looked once more at the cemetery that covered hundreds of square miles in front of them, and somewhere in the midst of it all Jack the Ripper was holding Marie prisoner...


	9. Chapter 9

**Seriously long update! I think I got a little carried away :) Our story is slowly coming to a close so hold on to your hats!**

**I hope you enjoy! :)**

Bigby and Snow had been walking around the cemetery for hours with absolutely no luck at finding Marie. They had found her blood trail early on but it had suddenly stopped amidst a cluster of tall tombs and they had nothing to go on. Bigby tried to follow his nose but there were too many misleading scents and he was just as stuck as Snow. "This is a disaster" she cried angrily startling a few tourists who were walking amongst the graves. "We let him take her away and now she's probably dead! The next time we see her she'll be a corpse" Snow groaned and walked away down another narrow aisle in between some larger crypts. Bigby followed after, struggling to squeeze through and caught up with her. "That's a bit of a defeatist attitude" he said and stood in front of her, taking a gentle hold of her arms his brown eyes meeting her bright blues. "We're gonna find her Snow, I promise." She nodded but her stomach was still in knots, she just needed to get Marie back. Bigby let go of her arms and patted down his body until he reached his trouser pockets, pulling out a squashed looking pack of cigarettes. He lit up and took a deep breath and she watched as a little bit of relief washed over his face, "does it smell really bad here?" she asked and he nodded. "I never thought I'd miss the smell of New York City. It's not just that though, there's other smells that I need to block out..." he said but suddenly stopped himself, making her eyebrow twitch. "What like?" but he waved the smoke away along with her question "Nothing, just y'know people and perfumes and things..." _Is he blushing?_

Before she could question him further, he made a noise of recognition and walked back to the main walkway of the graveyard. She hopped after him feeling more confused than ever until he stopped suddenly and turned to look at Snow. "Marie wears Chanel doesn't she?" Snow nodded and then looked annoyed, "why do you remember her perfume?" but Bigby tapped his nose, "I never forget a smell...I think you wore that once. I was sneezing all day" he chuckled and it was her turn to blush, "You noticed that?" but he seemed not to hear her, walking along the path his head swinging from side to side hunting down a familiar scent. "Anything?" she said after a few moments and he nodded. "It's getting stronger the further North we go. I reckon we should try and head that way" he said pointing to the top section of the cemetery and she squinted, groaning at all the rows and rows of tombs still to explore. "Let's hope Marie can hold out!"

* * *

Marie was actually doing pretty well, she was terrified of course, but she was doing better than Jack was currently doing. He was in the midst of a huge argument with...himself and neither side seemed to be winning. Every time he went to attack her, something would pull him back, like some invisible strings on the world's freakiest puppet. She watched as he would lunge towards her, his eyes blazing with fire, his skin waxy and dull and all of a sudden his body would jerk away, eyes back to a baby blue, his skin shining with sweat and a tinge of grey making him look like a dying version of himself. After several attempts and very close calls Jack threw the knife to the floor and screamed, pounding his hands onto the walls of the crypt they were currently shacked up in. She glanced around but it was fairly featureless with a narrow spiral staircase leading up to ground level. She had been unconscious when they had made the descent so she had no idea what part of the graveyard they were currently in. They were sharing the room with a large ominous tomb with a few strange symbols carved along the side. In the flickering light of his candles it looked even spookier but she would have welcomed the company of the inhabitant more than Jack's.

"You have to kill her. She's the one who is confusing us! Don't let her trick you again. You need to trust me!"  
"But I don't want to now...What if she was telling the truth?"  
"Don't be stupid! A Fable? What a load of rubbish! That sounds like witchy lies to me!"  
"No!...Maybe?" He flung his hands against the wall again and panted heavily.

"_Edward? Is that you? You're fighting him aren't you?" _She spoke gently and tried to get his attention. He shuddered and turned to face her, his face plastered with pain and he hobbled towards her. "_Yes. But I'm not doing very well it would seem. I don't want to kill you Marie, but it's hard to argue with him once his mind is made up..." _She shook her head and sat up a little straighter, wincing as her head pounded. "_You're doing magnificently darling! You must keep fighting!"_ He smiled but began to shudder until his eyes snapped to red, "Stop trying to cast your spells! Edward is mine and he's enjoyed every moment of the last 100 years. Half of the murders came from his twisted little imagination; I just gave him the confidence to execute them..." She stared at him and scowled, "What are you? Edward was just a normal man wasn't he? You sound like more of a witch than I do!" He considered her for a moment and then shrugged. "Alright, I'll tell you our little story and **then **I'll kill you..."

* * *

In 1885 a young man named Edward Carter was living in London. Well he was existing in London anyway; he had no family, no job and no prospects. He was living on the banks of the Thames within a large community of young men and women who had been given a similar lot in life. He was a fairly quiet man, unless he managed to get hold of some alcohol, then he would become something of a monster. He would fight any man that crossed his path, not to mention cause all kinds of problems for the women he met. He had been in and out of prison for years but nothing ever changed until one chilly March morning in 1888, when a young boy was sticking a poster to the wall along the embankment.

_Come and marvel at the magical prowess of Mr. Marley! Speak to the dead! Cure what ails you! Witness real magic!_

Edward cocked an eyebrow sceptically and shook his head. He had never been keen on those who meddled with the occult. They were asking for trouble in his opinion. This life was hard enough without inviting those with a grudge back into it. Let the dead stay dead he thought. His neighbours however were much more enthused and excitement spread at the arrival of Mr. Marley. Ticket prices were surprisingly inexpensive and Edward found he had just enough for one of the cheap seats. "Maybe he can sort you're drinking problem out Carter" an old hag cackled at him. "Would you like to keep you're remaining teeth?" He spat and she blew a raspberry, but scuttled away from him hastily. His curiosity was peaked with the gathering excitement so he decided to buy a ticket, just so he could go and mock all the idiots who believed in this nonsense.

The theatre was old and creaky as hundreds of Londoners packed the room. They chattered and laughed but you could cut the tension with a knife as time dragged on towards the 7pm start time. Edward had managed to locate a seat on the edge of the stalls, somewhere around the back of the theatre. A few of his 'friends' from the river were seated nearby but he wasn't in the mood to listen to their stories of how they had once seen a ghost walking the streets of London. **And they call me a drunk**. Suddenly the house lights went down and the crowd shushed into complete silence and a spotlight burst into life on the stage. With another flash a man appeared in the centre and dusted off his long jacket and stretched his arms out to greet the applauding crowd. "Welcome friends! Thank you for joining me on this most spectacular of evenings." He was tall and spindly, probably around 45 years old but he moved with the agility of a young man. He paced around the stage making doves appear as if from nowhere, speaking to members of the front row and amazing them with detailed knowledge from their private lives and so on. Edward was unimpressed, fully convinced that these people were plants or morons. He was deciding whether or not to leave when Mr. Marley suddenly raised his hands again, silencing the crowd. "My friends! I can sense there are people in here who do not believe my powers are true! I can speak to the dead and they are telling me that someone here needs my help desperately..." He took the steps down from the stage until he reached the first few rows of the audience. The spotlight followed him and he prowled along his eyes scanning the crowd. "They are telling me the letters E...and C. Does anyone have those initials?" Edward grimaced as his loutish friends began to call Mr. Marley, waving towards Edward. Marley sprinted up to the end of the theatre until he came level to Edward.

"What is your name young man?" he said sternly and Edward glared back. "My name is Edward Carter, but I'm not interested in being one of your puppets!" A smile flashed across the magician's face for a brief moment then went back to his stern features. "Edward I am merely a vessel in which the spirits have chosen to use to pass along messages. There is something about you that they are concerned about and I think you should let me try to help you! Do you have any problems that you perhaps need assistance with?" Another voice in the dark shouted "He's a drinker" and the crowd laughed. Edward scowled, his boyish features blossoming with rage and embarrassment, he certainly hadn't come here to be mocked. Marley shook his head angrily at the crowd, "we are not here to tease my friends! Edward, come up to the stage and the spirits and I will help you!" Anything to prove this fool wrong, he shot up and followed Marley to the stage, the crowd cheered and clapped as he reached the centre. "Now Edward...I want you to relax...just pretend that it is just you and me...now close your eyes...and sleep."

In a flash Edward felt all the energy rush from his body. He opened his eyes and the theatre was empty, with only Marley standing in front of him. "Welcome my friend. Don't worry, you are dreaming, but we are very much real." Edward watched as ghostly figures appeared over Marley's shoulder and began circling around him. "These are the spirits I spoke of my boy. Don't they look friendly?" That was the last word Edward would have used. They had twisted faces and gleaming red eyes. Some could have been male or female, but others were unidentifiable, there bodies writhing and mangled. He blinked and began breathing heavily trying to wake up from this nightmare but Marley came forward and rested a hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry young man! You are safe and I am here to help you!" The spirits became more restless as Marley's grip on Edward became tighter. "We are going to help you become the master of your addiction, and through this help, you will help to rid this City of the evil that consumes it." One of the spirits cackled behind Edward's ear and he shivered trying to make some sound, but found his tongue clamped solidly to the floor of his mouth. "Now which spirit is going to help us this evening?" Marley spun around and paced across the stage the spirits all clamouring eagerly for his attention until he pointed at the only spectre that had remained still. "You my friend, you have waited so patiently for a chance to prove yourself, I think you and Edward will complement each other very well indeed." The spectre smiled, blood dripping from his open mouth, eyes burning like a furnace and walked slowly towards Edward. Frozen in place his eyes widened, his only method of showing emotion at this point. He slammed his eyes shut at the creature rounded on him and suddenly his skin was alive with a burning fire until it faded into nothing.

"And now I want you to begin to come back to us Edward. Slowly...carefully...come back to the room...Wake up!" Marley shouted and Edward shuddered awake and the room was filled with people again. The stench of London filling his nose making him want to vomit. He could see eyes peering at him, not one of them making a sound unsure of Edward's reaction. Marley backed away slowly and whispered to Edward, his quiet voice still carried across the silent room, "How do you feel Mr. Carter?" Edward wanted to run from the room, screaming at the audience to run for their lives, but instead in a very cool clear voice he stated, "I feel like a new man! I am ready to change my ways!" The crowd gasped and erupted into applause stamping their feet and roaring their approval. Against his own wishes, Edward bowed for the crowd and shook Mr. Marley's hand. Under the roar of the crowd he whispered, "Thank you master... This city stinks of sin and I will not disappoint you in my attempt to eradicate it." Marley simply nodded and gestured to the crowd again, bowing for their applause.

Over the next few weeks, Edward was a changed man, but people didn't think it was for the better. He would vanish for days from his usual home, only to appear days later looking ragged and wild unsure of where he had been for the entire period. He was no longer calm and controlled and people blamed the drink although they were thankful that he was no longer assaulting the men and women along the banks of the Thames. London was preoccupied by the sudden appearance of Jack the Ripper, so his descent into madness was foolishly overlooked, none of them believing he had the mental capacity to be such a calculated killer. One gloomy afternoon Edward was stumbling along a dark alleyway when he was suddenly dragged by the elbow into a shabby little room and thrown to the floor. "Ah Mr. Carter! How nice of you to join me at last!" Mr. Marley sat down by the fire in a moth-eaten armchair and surveyed the shivering man on the ground in front of him. "Are you suffering from headaches...periods of memory loss...aching limbs? That sort of thing?" he said coldly and Edward nodded his head as he coughed thickly. "Then you must stop trying to fight the spirit Mr. Carter! Let him take control and you will find yourself in much less discomfort!" Edward leant forward on his palms and glared up at the man his pale face shining with sweat. "What have you done to me? I killed those women didn't I? Your monster made me!" A sharp sting of pain wracked his body dropping him to the floor. "I wouldn't insult the spirit Eddy boy! They're proud creatures you know! But yes...He is ridding this city of evil...one wicked whore at a time. Eventually you'll see the benefit of it!" Edward growled in rage! "Those girls were innocent! I should be killing monsters like you!" He spat and lunged at Marley only pulling back at the last moment, as the creature within stopped him in his tracks.

"This one is a little bit more stubborn that we expected Master" Edward heard himself say and he lay flat on the floor exhausted. "Yes it would seem so!" The magician said casually and the creature stirred again, "Are you pleased with my work so far Master?" Marley nodded and pressed his fingers together in front of his mouth, "Yes I suppose. You have taken care of a few of the more dangerous women in London...but you could do better." The creature suppressed a snarl and looked at his master. "He has made it very difficult! If I could make him more...compliant, I would have been able to do more! Although there is one silver lining..." Marley raised his eyebrows and motioned for 'Edward' to continue. "This man he doesn't seem to be aging...the more they talk about us in their papers and on the streets, the stronger I feel, and the stronger he becomes. It's like a strange magic we haven't encountered before." Marley stood up from his seat and paced around the room deep in thought. "Strange indeed...perhaps it is a sign? That what we are doing is right and just? Either way we still need to deal with this problem before we look at anything else..." He rounded on Edward and pressed a foot to his chest and leaned down, causing the younger man to wince in pain. "Listen to my voice...look at me and listen! You were chosen for this task...the spirits saw something in you that could make so much change in this world. Don't tell me you want to live on the banks of that festering river for the rest of your days? I am offering you a new life? With money, power over good and evil, the possibility of travel and even love? All you have to do is submit. Let go of Edward Carter...become something more!"

A few months later, Edward Saunders boarded a ferry in Dover. He was dressed in an expensive suit, his hair neatly combed and he felt fresh and alive. The sea breezed whipped across his face but he revelled in the clean cool air. London had been a good place to start, but he was feeling too much heat from those who used to know him as Edward Carter. He wanted to be able to help the world without his past hindering his future. A few hours later he was speeding towards Paris, another city reeking of sin and immorality. The creature inside was hungry for blood and he didn't have to look far to seek it out in the district of Montmartre, there was plenty of work to be done. Edward was more flexible to his spirit's wants and desires, but one morning he was strolling through a market, when blonde shimmering hair caught his eye and the spirit was silenced as the most beautiful girl Edward had ever seen made her way through the crowds. She caught him staring and smiled slightly. He turned around but realised she was looking at him and he approached slowly. He was mesmerised and the creature was afraid that all the hard work would be revealed to a silly, pretty girl. He allowed the courtship to continue until one evening he planted the seeds of doubt into Edward's mind. **What if this pretty girl is the devil in disguise? Another of Mr. Marley's spirits? Wicked temptress! Evil and sly**_._ Edward fought for a long time, but the creature ran out of patience. The girl had to go, but it had to be carefully done. The girl surprised the creature by breaking Edward's heart, but he knew this was the perfect opportunity. **She's a witch! It's the only possibility! She has to die!** The girl was tricky, the creature would accept that much, and the episode in the station only helped prove his point. They chased her across Europe for centuries, none of them seeming to age at all, all the while they murdered and mutilated the evil women that polluted the cities followed her too until they briefly lost her. The monster wanted to pursue, but Edward pointed him towards other women that needed to be dealt with, until the desire to see her could no longer be repressed. Almost 100 years later, they were all home and ready for the madness to come to its conclusion.

* * *

Marie had listened to the story, stalling with question until it reached its conclusion. "So you hijacked Edward's mind for all these years, making him do you're evil work! You're the monster, just let him go!" He cackled and picked up the knife from the floor and began climbing the little staircase, his footsteps thudding on the ancient stones. "He's the one who keeps thinking about you, so once his mind is clear, we will be back to normal! Now shut up! I'm busy!" As he moved towards her she struggled against her binds but found he had done a much better job this time around. Jack shuddered again and said in a deeper voice, "the sun is setting; we need to end this now." He began rubbing his hands together; cackling again and she began to tremble under his fiery gaze. "_Edward please! Keep fighting! Don't let him win!_" she screamed and he gave another great shudder, dropping the knife he howled and threw himself against the wall fighting with himself again. "_Forgive me Marie!_" he said huskily and cantered towards the stairs and climbed them all the way to the top, his footsteps echoing until they faded into silence. For a while she sat motionless and waited for him to return, surely another trick? Somewhere far above her, a door slammed and she realised she had just one chance to get out of here alive. She managed to wriggle towards the knife that he had tossed to the floor, stretching awkwardly as her hands and feet had been bound and tied to a small post limiting the distance she could travel. It was just out of her reach but she gave one last thrust and her fingers brushed the handle of the knife. Laughing from relief she edged the knife, slowly but surely towards her and finally it was in her hand. A few more painstaking moments, still listening to make sure Jack hadn't returned, she cut her bonds free, her wrists and ankles burning red from the friction.

Her head was still pounding and her muscles ached from the injuries he had provided her with. She slowly crawled towards the stairs and managed to pull herself to her feet, her head swimming a little. It was dark on the stairs but she only had one direction she needed to travel in. Up!


	10. Chapter 10

**Sorry again for the delay! Hopefully this chapter will make up for the delay as it is final showdown!  
I hope you enjoy! Please let me know what you think! x**

The light was fading, casting creepy shadows along the walls of the cemetery and it began to grow cooler, until even Bigby felt a little chill. As he stalked around the tombs he heard a whistling in the distance. "_The cemetery is about to close! Please make your way to the exit!"_ Bigby groaned and waved Snow over towards him. "I think this place is about to close, we need to hide or they'll kick us out." She rushed over and they searched for a suitable looking tomb and sat inside a crypt, as the whistles echoed in the distance. He listened intently as Snow leant against his shoulder, her scent making him feel like lighting up about forty cigarettes in one go just to stay focused. "Were you going to kiss her?" she said quietly as the noise in the distance faded a little more. Bigby couldn't remember what she was talking about until Marie's apartment flooded back to his mind. He turned to look at her and she sat up, her big eyes stared sadly into his. "Never in a million years..." he said and rested his palm on her hand, but she just pulled hers away and rubbed her forehead. "Would it matter to you if I did kiss her?" He said trying to supress a smile and she looked at him crossly, "No of course not! I just think it would be...inappropriate...y'know given the situation she's in and her history...but if you want to kiss her, then I think you should" she said flatly and folded her arms across her chest. Bigby quickly turned his head away to look out of the crypt, his face cracking with a silent laugh that he knew she would murder him for.

He was about to turn around and prove her wrong when something caught his eye across the way. A shadowy figure had suddenly appeared and was convulsing around the crypts, bashing into stone and clawing at the air. "Perhaps I'll get my chance; I think Jack has just made a little appearance." She huffed and edged to the opening of the crypt at peeked out. Her eyesight was not as keen as the wolf's but she could see him darting in and out of tombs here and there. "He doesn't look so good" she said and narrowed her eyes to try and get a better look, "Did you see where he came from?" and Bigby scanned over the scene. "Possibly? I don't know how long he's been running around for...But it might mean that Marie is still alive?" Jack wondered off down out of sight, so the pair carefully travelled towards his original spot and Snow began pushing at doors and gates to see if any of them would open easily. She reached a crypt that resembled a miniature church and she leaned on the heavy doors, and they ever so slightly budged. "Bigby, help me quick!" He rushed over and rammed his shoulder into the wood and it burst open, the noise echoing around the dark gloom. "Marie?" They both shouted simultaneously and they heard a whimper echo from deep down in the depths. Snow gasped and began climbing down the stairs Bigby trying to prop the door open more to let as much of the fading light in as possible.

He was about to follow her when he heard a growl from outside, "Oh how clever the two of you are to find her so quickly! I should have killed you both in those tunnels when I had the chance. I guess I can do it now and take my time with Marie." He swiped at Bigby who dodged and pushed Jack out into the air, his skinny body slamming into the wall. "_Please Monsieur I am trying to fight him but his urge to kill is too strong!_" Bigby growled and picked up the man by his throat, "Then we have something in common!" The face contorted and the eyes gleamed red, and Jack began clawing at Bigby managing to escape from his grasp and backing away down the aisle, Bigby following slowly behind.

In the dark Snow had finally reached Marie, who was crawling up the stone stairs, smothered in dust, blood and grit. Marie was sobbing as her friend pulled her to standing and hugged her tightly. "_It's alright you're safe now! I promise we're not going to let him get you again!"_ Marie held onto Snow, and eventually they slowly started climbing the last few spirals of the staircase. They had both heard the commotion above and Snow began to worry again about the Sheriff, Marie hurriedly told Snow about the spirit that had taken hold of Edward and how he had fought with the monster to keep her alive. They reached the entrance at last and there was no sign of either man, although they could hear some scuffling a little while away. "_What are we going to do?" _Marie whispered and Snow shook her head, "_Let's try and get you cleaned up, Bigby should be fine..."_ Marie winced a little as she leant up against the wall and held her pounding head, "_Please tell me you've kissed him? You two need to stop avoiding the inevitable"_ she said and Snow's head snapped towards her as she pressed her hand to Marie's head. "_I think he would rather kiss you. Anyway it's not what's important at the moment, so can we please drop it?"_ Marie brushed Snow's hand away and glared at Snow, which looked a little scary given she was in a bit of a state, her long blonde hair tangled into knots and sticking out in odd places. She leant on Snow and they began walking. "_He didn't want to kiss me! Have you seen the way he looks at you? He is clearly in love with you!"_ Snow blushed but kept walking propping Marie up as they hobbled towards the end of the row. "_Why did you try and kiss him Marie?"_ She said at last as Marie sighed and shook her head. "_I don't know Snow. I guess I just felt a little lonely...Being reminded constantly that a man you loved wants to murder you can get a little depressing. Bigby is a good man, but I regretted it instantly! That's why is it so important that you tell him how you feel. It can all be taken away so quickly_."

Snow's mind flickered back to the incident with Bloody Mary and she groaned a little as Marie stopped for a rest on a bench. _"You're right...I'm sorry about all this Marie, I've not been a very good friend_!" Marie looked up and smiled at Snow, taking hold of her friend's hand. As she was about to reply there was a quiet little laugh behind them. Snow turned to see Jack walking slowly towards them, his hands smothered in blood, eyes burning and a smile on his wicked face. "Ah how touching, you two have made up just in time. It's a shame about you're American friend, he put up a good fight...but not good enough!" Snow gasped and looked around for a sign of the Sheriff, her eyes as wide as dinner plates. She shouted his name but he made no reply. Jack cackled loudly and mimicked her cries, "There is no one left to save you Miss Snow..." and he strode towards the two women.

Suddenly a huge gust of wind whistled through the narrow passageways and almost knocked Snow off her feet. Jack shuddered and covered his eyes, guarding from the debris that had been whipped up around them. The sun had almost dipped below the horizon so the space was filled with a gloomy light and Jack looked a little spooked. Snow looked around again and gasped as Bigby emerged a few meters behind Jack. Not as a man, but as a huge black wolf, his eyes gleaming yellow and his mouth snapping and snarling. "Perhaps I should have introduced myself properly...I seem to have forgotten my manners!" Bigby growled and Jack began to shudder. "What is this evil?" Jack cried and Bigby shook his great head. "That's a little unfair, I have changed my ways you know...but they used to call me The Big Bad Wolf..." Jack planted his feet firmly on the ground but his voice shook, betraying his fear. "HA! So you ate a few little pigs did you? Am I supposed to be afraid?" Bigby growled again, "The piss in your pants says you probably are Jack. Now step away from those two ladies and let's finish this. Monster to Monster."

Jack grimaced and began looking around for some kind of weapon to use against this monster but he was fresh out of tricks. Bigby was growing bored of waiting and stepped towards Jack, his paws causing the ground to tremble beneath him, the wind still whipped around Jack and he felt himself being carried towards the beast. He lunged forward and struck Bigby's neck, causing next to no damage. The wolf snapped his jaws but Jack managed to dodge him running in and out of his giant legs, enraging Bigby no end. Jack ran down the path a little and found a sharp tree branch and held it in his hands like a knife. "Bigby look out!" Snow shouted and the wolf whipped around, managing to avoid the sharp point of the branch as Jack stabbed recklessly at him. Bigby swiped a paw and it collided with the branch, causing him to groan a little as it tore at his flesh, but the force was enough to knock it from Jack's hands. He bore down on Jack and with one quick flash of teeth, he screamed as his bones snapped beneath the jaws. Bigby backed away and the man began to twitch, his scream continuing to carry across the cemetery. They all watched as a writhing spirit seemed to lift from the body, mangled and glowing with a ghostly white in the darkening light. Marie hid behind Snow's back as it rose, into the sky and suddenly plummeted into the earth, its scream finally fading to nothing.

They were silent for a moment until the body below Bigby coughed a little. Marie shot up from her hiding place and looked at him. "_Edward?_" He groaned and she rushed towards him, throwing herself down beside him. "_Marie!_" he choked as she stroked his cheek, blood spilling a little from his mouth. "_My love I am so sorry for the pain I have caused you! Please know that I tried so hard to protect you..." _Tears were spilling down her cheeks as she shook her head, her hands still gently stroking his face and hair. "_At least I got to see you, as myself, one last time."_ He shuddered and she sobbed as the light left his eyes, and he made no other sound. Snow knelt down next to Marie and wrapped an arm around her shoulder. "I'm so sorry Marie...but we need to get you out of here." Marie nodded and shakily got to her feet, looking up at Bigby, who looked at her as sadly as a wolf can. "I'm sorry too Marie, I didn't have any other choice..." She shook her head and wiped her tears away. "Please don't apologise Bigby, you set him free, you set us both free. It was for the best."

The sun had finally set on their little scene and streetlights were flickering on all over Paris. Bigby had carried Edward's body back to the crypt he had kept Marie in and they bolted the doors shut. "_How are we going to get back to my apartment?_" Marie groaned as she tried to wipe the clotted blood and dust that plastered her face. Snow shrugged and Bigby looked between the two of them. "_We could take the sewers again?"_ Marie groaned and shook her head but Snow shot a glance at the Sheriff. "I thought you told me you were useless at French?" she said angrily and he scratched the back of his head, smiling a little. "Oh...well maybe I am better than I thought?" She fumed and folded her arms across her chest, "How much have you heard?" and he shrugged, as he let Marie hold on to his arm and tightened the tie that had been wrapped around his own bleeding hand, "Just this and that...I know that Marie thinks we're more than just colleagues. And I definitely heard the phrase sexy beast at one point." Marie giggled as Snow took her other arm and growled at him. "Let's talk about this later shall we. I'd quite like to get the hell out of here before I murder both of you myself!"

* * *

**Will Bigby ever get his kiss? Find out in the final chapter coming soon!**


	11. Chapter 11

**I am really really sorry for the delay! I have been away for 2 weeks but I have been typing like a maniac to get this update in! I know I said this would be the last chapter but I changed my mind mid-way through writing! I'll explain more at the end.  
As always let me know what you thought as all comments are appreciated! xx**

It had taken a lifetime to get back to Marie's apartment although the cover of darkness had allowed them to travel through most of the city without too much interest from the locals. After Snow had helped Marie to clean her wounds she was put straight to bed with very little resistance. After they had both showered and changed themselves Bigby and Snow where left sitting in the living room unsure what to do with themselves next. He could still sense her annoyance at his failure to admit earlier that he could speak French fluently but he wondered if he might be able to take her mind off of that at some point. "I fancy a drink. Care to join me?" He said at last and she nodded and she watched as he rifled through the drink's cabinet, pulling out bottles until he found a tall bottle filled with a golden brown liquid. He took a sniff and seemed impressed enough to fill two glasses fairly generously and carried them over to her, taking a seat next to her.

She took a sip and he chuckled a little as she cringed at the strength. "You could strip wallpaper with that stuff!" she said with a hoarse voice as he took a larger sip and smiled at her as she searched for a drink that was more her style. She came back with a glass of wine and settled back down next to him, tucking her feet underneath her and rested her arm on the back of the couch. "_Salute"_ he said and she rolled her eyes in annoyance but smiled anyway as she took a sip of her drink. "I would never have expected any of this when we were having dinner less than a week ago" she said thoughtfully as he lit up a cigarette and nodded. "It has been quite a wild ride. We should form some kind of spin-off detective agency together, we're getting pretty good at this stuff" he said and grinned at her between puffs of smoke. She smiled at him behind her glass and took another sip. "We do make quite a good team don't we?"

They both drifted off into their own thoughts for a while, until they heard a muffled cough from behind Marie's door. Snow quickly checked on her but everything seemed fine. "Poor Marie, I can't imagine how hard this has been on her. Imagine someone you love turning on you like that, becoming someone you don't even recognise?" She sat back down and stared at her glass, while Bigby was overwhelmed with her sadness. He placed his glass next to hers and took her hand, both of them quite surprised by this sudden movement. "At least she has someone like you to look out for her. I don't know what I'd do without you on my side." She smiled a little and left her hand in his, feeling a little nervous. "I know what you mean. The whole thing with Crane...If I hadn't been able to rely on you..." She couldn't say it, it was still too fresh in her mind and she didn't want to be thinking about Crane now. He squeezed her hand a little and she ran her free hand through her hair not sure where to go. She wanted to tell Bigby how she felt, but what if he rejected her. She couldn't bear the humiliation of it. "I was beginning to doubt someone would ever care that much about me" she said finally.

He pinched her chin and lifted it up so their eyes met, "Perhaps I should erase those doubts?" He leaned forward and kissed her soft lips, just briefly but enough to taste the sweetness that always seemed to follow him wherever he went. He wanted to groan inwardly as he pulled away from her, but he thought she would react better if he took things slowly with her. She looked at him a little hazily and he worried for a moment whether she was going to be mad with him, but she smiled and he couldn't help but grin at her. "Well that's not a bad start" she said a little shyly as her hands ran up his arms and came to a rest on his shoulders. Not waiting for a moment longer his hands cupped her face and he pulled her in for a kiss. A real kiss. One he had been waiting for, for far too long. He could sense her happiness and it only spurred him on to run his hands through her soft dark hair, his lips leaving hers to feather kisses across her cheeks, her jawline and then down her neck.

She sighed as she felt goose bumps erupt over her skin and her hands found their way into his own thick hair, completely paralysed with happiness and desire for him. She felt his teeth drag along her collarbone and she pulled away a little. He glanced up at her a little sheepishly, "Sorry, I've wanted to do that for a really long time. Just tell me if I'm being an ass." She smiled at him and shook her head, and reached to hold his rough cheeks looking at him as if she was seeing him for the first time. "What else have you wanted to do?" He couldn't quite believe his ears and he probably wouldn't have believed it if she hadn't then pushed him back on to the couch and planted her knees either side of his waist, her ass rested on his lap. His hands were back on her face, pulling her into another kiss, even more fiery than the last. He felt her pulling his shirt buttons loose and he took that as an invitation to do the same to her. He fumbled a little with the first few, resisting the temptation to rip the damn thing off. Sensing his frustration she gently pushed his hands away and slowly finished the job, while he watched hungrily as her lacy bra and pale skin was exposed to him.

He forgot himself a little as he ran his fingers over her stomach and pawed at her breast but she didn't seem to mind, moaning softly as he began to kiss along the line of the fabric of her underwear. His rough hands tickled her stomach a little and she couldn't hold back a giggle as she pushed him away, her hands returning to undo the last of his shirt buttons. "If you tickle me, I'll have to tickle you back" she said with a wicked glint in her eye and he sat up a little straighter, desperate to keep kissing her but she only pushed him away again. He groaned in defeat and watched instead as she ran her hands over his broad chest, her fingers running along old scars and delving into the thick, coarse hair that always seemed so inviting to her. She lingered a little longer on the place where Bloody Mary's bullets had left their mark and he watched as she leant down to plant kisses across his shoulder, then across his collarbone and up his neck, back to his lips. She hovered over him barely inches away as his arms wrapped around her body as her's snaked their way behind his head. "You said you'd never leave me...is that true?" He hugged her tighter to him and pressed a kiss to the corner of her mouth, "How could I ever leave you? I love you Snow." He said it with a finality that left her very little to question or doubt and she smiled.

It was the most beautiful smile he'd ever seen. He was worried that his admission would have sent her running for the hills but it was a risk he had to take. He needed to tell her. Another 300 years of waiting would have probably sent him over the edge and now here she was smiling at him and he felt like the happiest wolf in the world. "I love you too Bigby." She whispered it, but it was only meant for him anyway. He sat up straighter again and buried his nose into her neck as she laughed a little as she felt him smiling in between well placed kisses. He suddenly pulled away and grinned at her. "We're not expected back for a few more days are we?"

* * *

They were awoken next morning by a sweet voice filling the kitchen. At first Bigby couldn't work out why he felt so warm and happy until he cracked an eye open and saw Snow asleep in his arms. She stirred a little at the noise and he felt her stiffen a little as she became aware of where she was. He gently stroked her arms and she tilted her head just enough to meet his gaze and to his relief she smiled. "Good morning" she said tiredly, but before he could reply Marie breezed into the room. "Good morning to you too!" she said loudly and began laughing at them as they groaned at her excessive volume. She winked at Bigby and headed back out into the kitchen, "breakfast will be ready in ten minutes so you lazy bums better get a move on!" Slowly Snow pulled herself to sitting and wrapped Bigby's shirt tightly around her, casually glancing down at his tan chest that had been an extremely comfortable bed the night before. She watched as he sat up and stretched his achy muscles, then leaned forward and kissed her cheek, his hard stubble scratching her smooth skin. She ran a finger along his jaw and tilted his face so his lips met hers again for a slow kiss. She came to the conclusion that she could definitely get used to this.

Over breakfast Marie announced that she would be leaving Paris for good. "There are just too many memories, and I think it's time for a change!" Snow nodded sympathetically, "Where will you go? Will you come to New York?" Marie considered for a moment but shook her head. "I still want a little freedom Snow, I don't know how well I'd fit in to your little community, but maybe one day? Who knows? I was thinking of heading to Greece. I could do with a little more sunshine." Bigby chuckled and stubbed out a cigarette, "Well, let us know if you get any more boyfriends...we'll do a background check!"

They spent a few days with Marie, helping her arrange travel and then she left them to their own devices. They decided to stay in her apartment for three more days before they really had to head back to New York. It was blissful. Snow had never felt so happy in all her long life and Bigby seemed to be in a constant state of euphoria just at being able to hold her hand. They planned, with the best intentions, to explore Paris but they seemed to be unable to make it out of bed for the majority of the day. He would take her out to dinner nearby and then come straight home, stumbling up the stairs and falling in to each other's arms again. The night before they departed Snow rested her chin on Bigby's chest and he saw a flicker of doubt cross her delicate features. "How is this going to work back home Bigby?" she said, unable to mask the worry in her voice. He ran his fingers through her hair and watched her eyelids flutter, "It'll work because we love each other. I think we deserve a little happiness by now don't you, regardless of what the rest of Fabletown think?" She nodded and shimmied forward a little, propping herself up on an elbow, their lips only inches away. "And you don't mind taking things a little slower?" She said as he brushed a few stray locks from her face, "Of course not Snow, I want you to be happy." She sighed with relief and began muttering some kind of 'thank you' as her lips met his again.

* * *

**I know this wasn't very smutty but it just didn't feel right at the time of writing it, so I thought I would do one more chapter like an Epilogue and that can be a bit more smutty than here. I hope this hasn't been a let down!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Bonjour! So this is it, the very last chapter of French Connection :'( A huge thank you to all the people that read and reviewed the story it's been so much fun and I've really appreciated all your kind words!  
This is something of an Epilogue but if i'm honest it's just pure smut as I did promise they would get together in the end! **

**Enjoy xxx  
**

It was getting on for 6pm and Bigby was back at his beaten up desk, surrounded by paperwork, in his stuffy little office. He flipped the cover off a file shut and sighed with relief. Finding a cigarette, he lit up and inhaled the calming fumes, leaning back on his chair and stretched his arms. He glanced down at envelope Snow had dropped off to him earlier that morning and read the postcard inside:

_Greetings from Australia!_

_I'm settling in well here, enjoying the sunshine! I can't thank you both enough for the help you have given me, it feels so good to be free at last! I hope you both enjoyed Paris and the fun will continue in New York!_

_Much love as always,_

_Marie _

_P.S. We made the papers!_

Bigby tipped a small news clipping out of the envelope and raised his eyebrows as he read the sensational headline:

_**Ghosts and Werewolves in Montmartre Cemetery!**_

_Reports from several witnesses attested to seeing spooky sights late last week in the cities most famous cemetery. Patients at the overlooking hospital spied a large furry creature fighting with a spirit of the night! But could this just be the drug addled visions of the sick? No police reports were filed but maybe these supernatural beings have their own police force! This newsroom awaits further reports before it starts chasing down the undead!"_

Bigby chuckled at shook his head in disbelief, these Mundy's would never learn. He exhaled a stream of smoke and propped the picture of Ayer's rock up against his desk lamp. Paris had been fun. Well if you ignored the whole supernatural killer thing. Since they had returned Bigby and Snow's relationship had blossomed. At her request he had agreed to take things slowly, but when he showed up at her door with a bunch of peony roses for their first 'proper date' she had caved and dragged him into her apartment by the tie and not let him leave for an entire weekend. Bigby was living his dream, and the citizens of Fabletown had noticed a change in their Sheriff. He was less growly, more patient and Jack even swore he once heard the detective whistling. He was debating what to do with his evening when a heavenly sound met his ears. The closing of a door and the light click of heels down the corridor which was quickly followed by the scent of apple blossom and the underlying notes of something a little mischievous that made him grin even before the handle of his office door starting turning.

She burst into the room and equally large smile on her face. "Are you finished for today sheriff?" She closed the door firmly behind her after checking the corridor was empty. "Just finished the last file. Had a little time to reflect on Paris..." She raised an eyebrow and walked slowly around his desk and perched on the corner next to him, her knee brushing his. "What sort of things were you reflecting on sheriff?" Snow said casually as she began flicking through one of his files, ignoring the fact that his hands were so very close to her now. "Well mostly _this_" he said pointedly as his hand ran along her smooth leg, right up to the hem of her skirt where he squeezed her thigh. She swatted him with the file and gave him a look of mock horror. "Sheriff! If you can't give me a detailed report then I'm not sure if you are the right man for this job."

He pulled the file from her hands and threw it over his shoulder, papers flying everywhere, much to her amusement. She gasped for real when he dragged her from the desk into his lap, his warm chest pressed against her back, his arms wrapped around her waist. She leant back into him and rested her head on his shoulder and managed to plant a kiss to his rough jawline. "This could be considered sexual harassment you know?" Snow giggled as Bigby began to lift the fabric of her skirt a little higher. "Well would you like to lodge a formal complaint Miss White?" he rumbled as he ran his rough fingers along her soft thighs, creeping higher and higher until he was greeted by her lacy underwear and a scent of lust that caused a stirring of his own. "No I wouldn't bother. This government is far too corrupt..." she sighed a little and wrapped her arm around his neck, her fingers buried in his soft brown hair, pulling gently.

"It certainly is. I heard a rumour the Deputy Mayor was sleeping with the Sheriff" he growled in her ear, his fangs scraping gently on the soft skin of her neck. She watched as his fingers ever so gently skimmed under the edge of her panties, and brushed the soft curls that lay beneath the fabric. She blushed at his actions and buried her face into his neck but remained smiling, hoping he would continue. By this point she was feeling extremely aroused and there was no hiding it from Bigby as his large fingers slid down the wet folds of her entrance. She couldn't contain the moan that rushed from her lips as he teased gently at her sensitive bud. She wiggled a little in his lap as he dragged out her pleasure, something he always seemed to enjoy, and she felt a jolt of excitement as she felt his erection growing. She managed to adjust herself a little and turned his cheek so she could kiss him finally on the lips. It had been a long day, full of miserable Fables, bent over her desk reading report after report, but when she kissed him all that stress and tension vanished. Not to mention his extremely satisfying handiwork that had an equally relaxing affect.

She pulled away from his soft lips and he muttered a "wow" that made her chuckle. Her slender fingers ran across his cheek and he kissed her again as his finger work became more rapid. Her skin began to tingle as he rubbed circles around her tender clit, his free hand locking with hers. He stole her breath with kisses as she moaned against his lips, her hips pushing against him harder. As she came she squeezed her thighs around his hand and drew away from his lips, a loud cry emitted from her ruby lips.

She shivered as her climax shot through her body, and she sighed a long breath as she finally released his hand from between her thighs. Resting her head back again on his shoulder she felt his hands unbutton the last two buttons of her blouse and run his hands along her stomach and suddenly began tickling her stomach. She shrieked and squirmed away from him as he almost cackled at her until she slid off of his lap and landed in a heap on the floor. She leaned on his legs and scowled at him, "that was a little mean." She pouted and as he ran a thumb along her juicy bottom lip and growled a little at her. He watched as her hands travelled up to his belt buckle, and slowly undid it, and he groaned as she helped release his length from his pants.

She grinned up at him and gently gripped it, slowly working him until his nails were digging into the arms on his chair. She kissed the tip, flicking her tongue across it and he mumbled her name, encouraging her to take in his entire length, sucking and running her fingers along as he ran his fingers through her loose, soft hair.

He was a little lost in his reverie and almost missed the intruding scent of a visitor. When it finally occurred to him he managed to grab Snow's flushed cheeks and choked, "company!" at her, as three sharp knocks hit the door. Glad for the small mercy that he was still wearing a shirt, Snow scuttled under his desk and he managed to roll his chair as far under as he needed before Boy Blue poked his head into the room.

"Hey Sheriff! You still at it?" Bigby gave Blue a pained grin and pulled a file towards him. He was fully aware he was quite red at this point and sweating like a pig, not to mention extremely turned on. He could feel Snow's breath on his thigh, her arms wrapped around his knees for support. "Yeah...working like a dog. Did you need something?" Bigby was doing his best to play it cool, but sadly Blue wasn't stupid enough to miss the obvious tension. "Are you alright Sheriff? You seem a little hot?" He was about to respond when Snow did the unthinkable. He felt her fingers lightly run along his length and he involuntarily slammed his hand down on the desk. Boy Blue's eyes widened but Bigby attempted to wave it off. "Sorry Blue I'm all good...Snow's been a right bitch today" he said pointedly, which unfortunately only prompted her to work at him more vigorously. Blue looked at him suspiciously and said, "You haven't seen Miss White have you? I was wondering if I could finish for the day? I've got a gig to go to!" Bigby shut his eyes as Snow's breath began to draw nearer to his and he prayed she wouldn't give the game away. "I haven't seen her for a while but...- You know what Blue? That *slam* sounds *slam* great! *slam* Why don't you go ahead and if I see her I'll let her know." Blue was at this point backing slowly away from the sheriff, his eyes the size of dinner plates. "Ok thanks Bigby...have a good night!" And with that he bolted from the room.

As the door slammed Bigby pushed away from the desk and she crawled out, knowing she was in trouble, but she couldn't help but grin at him. He was scowling at her, his brow covered in sweat and his white shirt was clinging to his skin as he leaned forward and tipped her chin up with his finger. "I ought to arrest you for that...or at least give you a good spanking." She giggled and kissed him, as he pushed strands of her ebony hair away from her face. She quickly began to unbutton his shirt while he pulled her to standing, and then pushed her so she was perched on the edge of his desk. She ran her hands over his now bare chest and their lips locked again in a passionate kiss, the sound of his heavy breathing filling her with a lust she had never experienced before.

He finished undoing her buttons and his hands covered her breasts, squeezing and running his thumbs over her nipples through her lacy bra. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him harder, his lips leaving bruises on hers. She pulled away, their lips puckering and she pulled his forehead down to meet hers. "Bigby...I need you." Not waiting another moment, he pushed her legs apart and dragged her hips forward and she wrapped her knees around his waist. He pressed his erection against her and they kissed as he thrust forward into her, making them both groan.

He wanted to take his time, but the combination of her lips, her scent and the animal growls coming from her were making it difficult. She wrapped her arms tighter around him and his pace increased until they were both panting, each growing closer to their own wave of pleasure. She couldn't help but smile at him as she felt her second climax rising somewhere in the pit of her stomach, growing and swelling until she couldn't hold any longer. Sweat was shining on his bare chest and he could feel her walls closing around him. He pushed a little more until she fell back a little on the desk, her eyes fluttering as she tried to retain some grasp on reality. He slowed and pulled her back into his arms, peppering her neck with soft, calming kisses. She whispered his name over and over and his hands explored her skin, until eventually she could wait no longer, her climax rocking through her body, listening to him groan as his followed shortly after. He shuddered and growled into the crook of her neck as her breath slowly calmed until they managed to separate and they pressed their foreheads together.

"I think you should stay at my place tonight" Bigby whispered in the heated silence. Snow smiled and kissed the tip of his nose. "You don't have a bed."

"Who says we'll be sleeping?"

* * *

**If you are looking for more Snigby please check out my Fables story Senses too!  
Au Revoir! **


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